


Once in a Lifetime

by caswinchesterbaby



Series: Always and Forever [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Dean, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - High School, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Kid Fic, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omega Castiel, True Mates, at the beginning, nothing bad happens I swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 13:42:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4394123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caswinchesterbaby/pseuds/caswinchesterbaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At eight years old, Castiel Novak falls in love with the scent of campfires and soap. When he gets older and discovers that it’s Dean who smells like Heaven, he knows that he must keep it a secret. Because Dean would never want a male omega, right? He’s pleasantly surprised.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once in a Lifetime

**Author's Note:**

> This story begins with Castiel's POV for selected sections (and a few added) from [Forever and Ever](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3953038). The story then goes on to depict what happens after the end of part one.
> 
> I originally wrote this from Dean's POV starting directly after the end of Forever and Ever and got about 6k words in before I had to scrap it. Hopefully, this version of part two is much better. Enjoy!
> 
> If the attempted rape/non-con tag worries you, you can check the end notes where I explain what happens and then make the best choice for yourself whether to proceed.

Castiel stops chasing Samandriel around Sam Winchester’s backyard and turns his nose up to sniff the air. His blue eyes widen and his jaw drops open. Something smells _amazing._ Castiel sniffs further, standing on his tip toes to try and get closer to that beautiful scent. It smells like the campfire Mom and Dad made when they went camping last summer. But that scent isn’t just campfires, it also smells like soap. It’s the most beautiful scent Castiel has ever smelt in his eight short years of life.

Soap and campfires. Castiel chews on his bottom lip and takes another long whiff. _It just smells so amazing._

“Castiel!” a squeaky voice whines. “You’re s’possed to be chasing me!”

He turns to face Samandriel, who’s standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a pout on his lips. Castiel looks up to the sky and tries to inhale that scent just one last time, but it’s gone. It felt like home and now Castiel just feels lost.

Samandriel’s still pouting, and Castiel really doesn’t want to make the other boy upset, so he plasters on a wide grin and takes off running. Samandriel squeals and sprints away, giggling until Castiel catches up, grabs his shirt, and yells, “Tag, you’re it!”

And then the game continues. They play until they’re both panting and can barely stand up anymore, they’re so tired. But then Mrs. Winchester is coming out with a cake for Sam’s birthday and they all have to gather around and sing happy birthday. Sam looks uncomfortable as they all sing to him, but he smiles happily enough. Sam has long brown hair and light hazel eyes. Many girls in their class say that he’s cute, and Castiel can’t help but agree.

“I wish Dean was here,” Sam says after he blows out the candles and Mrs. Winchester starts cutting slices for everyone. Dean is Sam’s older brother. Even though Castiel’s never met Dean, he knows lots about him. Sam talks about him all the time, he’s practically his hero. Sam says that Dean helps him with his homework, even though Dean thinks that Sam’s smarter than him. And that Dean is actually Batman, but he said that Sam could be Superman. Dean seems nice; Castiel wishes he had an older brother like that.

“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic,” Mrs. Winchester says, smiling. “He’s just up in his room.” She turns to everyone else then. “He’s sick and I don’t want any of you getting sick, too.”

Castiel nods solemnly. Last time he was sick he threw up all night – it wasn’t fun in the least and his cousin Gabriel laughed at him.

Gabriel is a buttnugget. He pretends to be Castiel’s friend, but then he goes and plays mean tricks on him when he isn’t expecting them. Mom says that Gabriel isn’t trying to be mean, he just doesn’t know any better. Castiel doesn’t believe that because once Gabriel trapped him in a closet for three hours and Castiel cried, but Gabriel didn’t even apologize until the next day. Nonetheless, he’s still Castiel’s best friend, even if he is older than him _and_ he’s a meanie.

By the time parents start showing up to collect their kids, Castiel’s high off of sugar. He and Sam are running around throwing water balloons at each other and squealing every time one of them gets a hit. Mrs. Winchester is watching them with an odd sort of admiration, but when Mom’s annoyed when she gets there.

“Castiel, look at you,” she chastises, crouched down, holding him at arm’s length and inspecting his wet clothes. There’s a frown on her face, which makes Castiel look down at his now dirty blue sneakers in shame. “You’re going to get my nice car all wet and messy.”

Sam steps away from where he was standing by Castiel and looks up at his mom in confusion. Mrs. Winchester looks annoyed now too.

“Naomi, he’s just a kid. They were having fun,” Mrs. Winchester says. One of her hands is on her hip and the other is brushing a strand her hair back behind her ear. “Besides, it’s just a little water. He’ll dry off soon.”

Mom scowls, but then sighs and nods. “Fine.” She stands back up to her full height and crosses her arms. “Go dry off, Castiel.”

Sam grabs Castiel’s hand and says, “C’mon, I’ll get you a towel.”

Castiel follows Sam onto their back porch where several towels are now dry after sitting in the sun for so long. They dry off together, Castiel desperately trying to get his clothing dry as quickly as possible. He doesn’t want to be a disappointment to Mom.

“Your mom’s really uptight,” Sam says after a little while.

Castiel squints at him, cocking his head to the side. “She says that rules are crucial to God’s plan for us.”

Sam laughs at that, actually laughs. Castiel tries not to be offended. “I’m sorry, Castiel,” Sam says. Castiel was never a good faker, anyway. “I just thought…well, I dunno.” Sam looks down at the ground and bites his lip. “Friends?”

Sam sticks out his hand and looks up into Castiel’s eyes. He doesn’t have many friends. There are a few kids at school that he plays with, but no one he really would call a friend other than his cousin Gabriel, but he doesn’t really count.

Castiel smiles and shakes Sam’s hand.

“Friends.”

 

~*~

 

Theoretically, there shouldn’t be anything worth mentioning that happens on a school bus. Students should stay in their seats, be quiet, and they should exit the vehicle when the bus stops outside their house. It’s simple in a theoretical sense.

If only that were real life. Everyday Castiel has to listen to Alistair Carter complain about anything that comes to his unnaturally small mind. Who knew going to Lawrence High and Middle School would be so annoying? If he knew that being twelve would mean having to deal with rowdy senior alphas on the bus, then he would have tried to stay eleven.

Alastair hasn’t bullied Castiel, though, and he isn’t going to give him a reason. If he tries to ask him to please be quiet or to consider different topics of conversation, then he’s just going to get punched and then Mom will be ashamed of him.

“Sarah Blake presented as an omega,” Alastair says, and Castiel can see from the corner of his eye the rude gestures the senior makes. “I’d hit that.”

“You’d hit any omega,” one of his friends says. Castiel doesn’t know his name, has never cared to learn it.

“That’s right,” Alastair says, sticking his chest out with pride. “They’re all a bunch of sluts. All they want are knots.” Castiel furrows his brow and stares intently in front of him. Dad said that omegas are to be treasured, that they’re special. “Fuck, you should hear those sluts when they’re in heat. _Fuck me Alpha, breed me, ooohhh, I’m so weeettt._ They’re all a bunch of worthless whores. No good unless sucking my cock.”

Castiel gasps silently, his face a mix of horror and disgust. There’s no way Alastair just said that…he can’t have?

He’s spared having to watch Alastair’s cronies laugh by Dean Winchester stomping over and punching Alastair in the face. Dean’s fist rears back and Castiel gets a clear view of blood steadily leaking down from Alastair’s nose.

Something settles low in Castiel’s stomach, something heavy and consistent. It’s an unfamiliar sensation, only heightening the longer he watches Dean’s chest heave. He’s so brave.

It’s too bad Dean isn’t prepared to fight a senior alpha. Alastair hits him back and then he’s taking Dean down, holding him to the seat and punching him. Castiel’s hand flies to his mouth to hold back his cry of horror.

“You like hitting people, Winchester?” Alastair screams. “Over worthless whores! You’re just as bad as those omegas.”

Alastair gets in one last good punch before the bus driver, Bobby, is tearing down the aisle and grabbing Alastair off of Dean. “Hey! Break it up!”

Alastair grunts and kicks Dean in the groin – god, that must hurt – causing the younger boy to howl in pain and grab himself. Alastair says something else to Dean, but Castiel can’t hear it. His heart is beating so fast and his skin is getting all clammy, he can barely hear anything clearly now. It must have been bad, because Dean’s entire face goes white.

Castiel turns back around in his seat then, staring intently at the green faux leather in front of him. His body feels like it’s on fire and his stomach is roiling with every breath he takes. He must be sick, he must have ate something that went bad. He knew that school lunches weren’t safe.

Closing his eyes against the world doesn’t help. With every lurch of the bus Castiel feels bile rise in his throat. He’s going to throw up, or worse, pass out. He only opens his eyes when they’re at Dean’s stop and the older boy is limping up the aisle to get off the bus. Castiel catches the boy’s scent and _sweet baby Jesus_ , Dean smells _amazing_. There’s that campfires and soap scent again.

It must be Dean. If Castiel ever technically meets him, he’ll be sure to tell him how nice he smells.

The deep pressure in Castiel’s stomach increases and he barely holds back a whine of pain and something else entirely that he can’t name. Dean doesn’t notice him, he never does. Even though Castiel and Sam are friends, he doesn’t know Dean. Castiel barely ever sees Sam at school and they’re never able to hang out. In fact, they’re more of friendly acquaintances than they are friends. Just because they share the same birthday doesn’t mean they’re automatic best friends, although sometimes Castiel wishes it did.

A wave of something pulses through Castiel, immediately notifying him that he’s doing much more thinking than his current state allows.

What’s wrong with him?

By the time he makes it off the bus, practically running, his head is a mess and his body feels like it’s going to implode at any second. The few kids that are still on the bus stare at him with odd looks. Castiel only gets one step into the house before he hears his mother scream.

After a very, _very_ confusing hour full of Mom crying and freaking out and calling Dad to come home, Castiel finally finds out what’s going on.

He’s in heat.

Castiel locks himself in his room and slides down the door so that he’s sitting with his knees up and his face buried in his hands. He’s a fucking omega. A fucking _male_ omega. How will anyone want to be his friend now?

There’s slick running down the back of his jeans, his hole clenching and unclenching around nothing. He wants to cry.

Somehow, he manages to crawl over to his bed and strip himself of his itchy clothing. He feels absolutely disgusting, and the prospect of what he’s about to do is equally as disgusting. He’s only twelve, he shouldn’t want anything to do with sex!

But the heat doesn’t care what age he is. Steeling his nerve, Castiel snakes his hand down his body and prods at his hole, his finger sliding in the mess of slick down there. He slips the tip of his finger in and whines, half of him wanting to stop this disgusting act and the other, more animalistic side wanting him to push the rest of the finger in. The tears really do start this time.

Ten minutes later and his inner omega wins.

Twenty minutes later and there are two fingers up his ass. It hurts, but his body won’t let him stop.

Twenty five minutes later and memories of Dean punching Alastair in the face are flashing through his mind and causing his cock to pulse in his other hand. Dean’s eyes are so green and vibrant, Castiel can see them clearly if he shuts his eyelids. He’s never touched himself like this before; his parents have always referred to it as a sin. He remembers Dean’s scent and that’s what pushes him over the edge.

A half hour later and there’s a mix of slick and come coating Castiel’s bed sheets.

Oh god, Dean’s probably his true mate, isn’t he? He triggered Castiel’s heat, after all. Panic washes over him and bile rises in this throat once more. Dean would be the perfect mate, he’d be strong yet kind, and he’d care for Castiel, maybe even love him.

But…he isn’t what Dean wants. He’s a male omega for god’s sake. Dean must want a girl, someone pretty like Anael, someone that can give him pups.

After thinking on it for as long as his heat allows, Castiel decides that yes, Dean’s too good for him. He can’t drag Dean down, so he’ll have to hide his scent from him, and he can’t risk going into heat.

He can be a good omega for Dean, even if the alpha doesn’t know it.

He goes onto heavy duty suppressants the very next day. No one needs to know why he keeps a bar of soap next to his bed.

 

~*~

 

Dean presented as an alpha.

Castiel won’t leave his closet.

 

~*~

 

“Male omegas aren’t natural!” Mom screams.

Dad runs up and consoles her as Castiel watches on in fear. “Our boy is perfect, Naomi.”

Mom glares at him and bangs her fist on the kitchen counter. “Do you have any idea what this is doing to us?” she screams. “People stare at me like I’m some sort of freak! I can’t even buy groceries without someone asking me how it feels to be a disappointment.”

A lump forms in Castiel’s throat and he does his best not to cry. He never meant to cause his parents pain; he never meant to be an omega.

“Naomi!” Dad yells, his eyes searching around frantically. Once they lock onto Castiel’s, Castiel can see his dad’s heart drop. “He’s right there!”

Mom gasps and looks into the living room that’s connected to the kitchen. Castiel’s hiding behind the arm chair, blinking up at her with wide blue eyes full of tears. Mom holds out her hand as if she wants to grab him from all the way over there. He can see the regret in her eyes, but he doesn’t focus on it. Instead, he stands up and runs to his room, slamming the door behind him.

If he’s such a disappointment, why doesn’t Mom just sell him? Sure, it’s not legal, but there are dens of iniquity that she could send him to. At least there Castiel would know that he’s wanted.

A knock sounds on his door several minutes later, but Castiel just buries his face into his pillow. He doesn’t want to talk to his mom right now. He doesn’t want to hear her apology because he knows that deep down, he’s disappointed her.

“Castiel,” Dad whispers. “It’s just me.”

Castiel contemplates it, but in the end he opens the door. He returns back to his bed and surrounds himself in his blankets. Dad looks upset, the gray streaks in his hair more vibrant than ever.

“Your mother doesn’t mean anything she’s said, you know that, Castiel?”

Castiel swallows heavily and nods his head. They’re both silent for a few moments, Dad’s hand resting on Castiel’s shoulder as a comforting weight.

“Do you know who it is? Who your alpha is? There’s no other explanation for why you presented so early.”

Castiel chews his bottom lip and looks down at his blanket. He can’t tell him, he can’t share his burden with anyone else. So instead of telling his father about Dean, he shakes his head.

“No idea.”

Mom makes all his favorite foods for dinner that night. Castiel takes it for what it is; _I’m sorry._

 

~*~

 

Azazel is pinning him up against a row of lockers, one hand on his throat and the other on his right bicep. The alpha is leering at him, cold mirthless smile on full display.

“Why don’t you let me knot that pretty little hole of yours? You’d look so good around my cock,” Azazel coos. This is one of the many downsides of being an omega, of being a _male_ omega. Azazel’s grip tightens around Castiel’s throat and that’s when he starts to really get scared. The alpha is much older and much stronger than Castiel, he can easily do anything he wants to the omega.

Castiel’s sure that his fear is tainting the air, but almost no one even looks their way. _Fucking bystander effect,_ Castiel thinks.

Azazel’s leaning in to kiss Castiel with his gross lips and the omega’s squirming trying to get away when the smell of angry alpha floods the air. He turns around and leers at the newcomer. Castiel looks up and blinks, because standing there with his shoulders squared back is none other than Dean Winchester.

“Release him,” Dean growls. Castiel whines despite himself – stupid omega instincts – and looks frantically between Dean and Azazel. Which one of them is going to break first? “ _Now._ ”

They stare at each other for a long moment, Azazel’s grip on Castiel’s neck pulsating with his doubt. Eventually, the grip slackens and then is removed. The alpha growls, but drops his hands and steps away.

Castiel gives Dean one quick grateful look and then runs, sprinting and weaving around students to get as far away from Azazel as possible. And Dean. His scent, it’s just too much, it’s overwhelming. It makes Castiel want to be his. It’s dangerous.

Castiel almost fell to his alpha’s feet and worshiped him right there in the middle of the crowded hallway. It would have been horrible.

That’s the first time Dean saves him.

 

~*~

 

It isn’t that Castiel hates or loves Balthazar, it’s that Balthazar acts as a distraction, and he’s a good distraction. As long as the smarmy British beta is trying to get his grubby hands on Castiel, then Castiel isn’t thinking about how much he craves Dean. How much he craves his alpha.

And _fuck_ does he crave his alpha. It’s been two years since he presented as an omega and not a day goes by that he doesn’t consider telling Dean that they’re mates. But Balthazar distracts him from that. Dean will be going to college soon and then Castiel will break up with the beta and pine, just the way he’s been pining for two years now. The only downside will be that alphas will start bothering him just as much as they were before he started dating Balthazar.

“Cassie,” Balthazar calls, making Castiel want to puke. He’s currently hiding in the bathroom, doing his best to sound sick. Balthazar insisted on coming over so that they could spend time together and Castiel allowed it since Dad usually works from home on Fridays, but apparently he had a meeting today and was needed at the office. This, of course, is giving Balthazar all kinds of ideas. “Come on out.”

Castiel does his best impression of a pained whine – it’s honestly not all that difficult whenever he’s in the beta’s presence. “I don’t feel all that well, Balth,” Castiel says through the door. “You might want to head home, I don’t want to get you sick.”

“Nonsense, Cassie,” Balthazar says. “I’m sure you’re fine. And if you’re sick, then I’ll take care of you.”

Castiel groans, not a farce this time. Twenty minutes later and Castiel’s sitting on the very edge of the couch and Balthazar’s trying to inch closer. There’s no use trying to get rid of the beta, he’ll just try and stay.

“We’ve been dating for a couple of weeks,” Balthazar says lowly, his hand reaching out and resting on Castiel’s thigh. He’ll have to take a shower after Balthazar finally leaves. “And you haven’t gone into heat yet.”

Bile rises in Castiel’s throat.

“Which means that you’re going to be going into it pretty soon, aren’t you, darling?”

Castiel takes a shuddering breath and plasters on a cocky smile. “I don’t go into heat.”

Balthazar furrows his brow in confusion before a playful and predatory glint reaches his eyes. “I can fix that.”

Every instinct in his body tells him to run. Castiel’s off the couch in record time, but Balthazar’s chasing him. He runs into the kitchen and makes to take a detour to the dining room and then up the stairs, but Balthazar cuts him off, blocking his way. Castiel’s heart is pounding inside his chest and he’s sure that his eyes are ringed with gold. Balthazar looks like he’s hunting.

“Come on, darling,” Balthazar chides. “I’ll make it real good for you.”

“Balthazar, stop,” Castiel pants, eyes searching frantically for a way out. He spots a full two liter bottle of Orange Soda – why do they have this? Mom says that soda is bad – and shakes it, aiming the top at Balthazar. “Stop or I’ll do it.”

Balthazar rolls his eyes and raises his hands in a placating manner. “Fine, Cassie. Fine.” Castiel’s about to lower the bottle when Balthazar surges forward. Instinct takes over and Castiel’s twisting the cap, ready to spray Balthazar with the drink, but Balthazar’s smart and knocks the drink back towards him just moments before Castiel gets the top all the way off.

Castiel screams.

His clothes are soaked, leaking through to his skin, and his hair is sopping wet. He’s sticky and gross and he’s going to _kill_ Balthazar, who’s bent over dying of laughter.

“I wanted you to get wet, but not like this,” Balthazar manages to say around fits of laughter. Castiel growls low in his throat, but this only seems to make Balthazar laugh harder.

“I’m taking a shower,” Castiel says. He’s halfway out of the kitchen when he hears footsteps behind him. He turns back around and glares. “Alone.”

He makes sure to lock the door and push the laundry hamper in front of it before he even thinks of stripping. His clothes are a lost cause, he’ll have to put on something else. He’s paranoid the entire time he’s in the shower and keeps poking his head out from behind the curtain to make sure Balthazar isn’t trying to get in. He can’t smell the beta anywhere near him, but betas don’t have very strong scents anyway.

When he’s out, he dresses quickly into the clothes he brought into the bathroom with him and towels his hair dry. It’s when he’s in the hall trying to gather his patience to go downstairs and confront Balthazar that he smells it. Campfires and soap.

Castiel’s downstairs and tracking the scent before he can think better of it.

“Look, it can talk,” Balthazar says. Castiel barely resists the urge to growl, but he can hear Dean growling lowly. Castiel walks forward, still behind Balthazar.

“Dean?”

Dean tears his eyes away from Balthazar’s jugular and spots Castiel. Dean looks beautiful, his light brown leather jacket highlighting the green of his eyes. God, Castiel wants. He wants so badly.

“Hey, Castiel,” Dean rubs the back of his neck and looks to the ground. Castiel takes the chance to admire his dirty blonde hair, how soft it looks. He wants to run his fingers through it. “Sammy wanted me to drop off your hat, he forgot to give it back.”

“Oh,” Castiel wiggles around Balthazar, who’s still blocking the doorway and reaches out to take the knit hat. “He could have kept it. I’ve got plenty.” Nonetheless, Castiel’s slim fingers wrap around the hat, barely grazing Dean’s own warm digits and slowly bring it in to clutch it to his chest. It’s still warm. “But thank you.”

“Anytime,” Dean smiles. Castiel’s inner omega soars at the prospect of being taken care of by his alpha. There’s a tension between Dean and Balthazar, one that Castiel can’t depict. “Well, I gotta get to Charlie’s so uhh, see you Monday.”

Castiel wishes that he could go with him. Charlie’s always been a good friend, she’d allow Castiel to hide out at her house. Still, he smiles at Dean. That is, until Balthazar wraps his filthy arm around his torso and pulls him in close. Castiel wants to growl at him to fuck off but knows that it would only ruin everything. Something dark flashes through Dean’s eyes at the sight of Balthazar’s arm, but it disappears just as quickly as it came.

“Goodbye, Dean,” Castiel says, trying his best not to sigh.

Dean sends out a final wave. “Bye, Castiel.”

Castiel watches until Dean gets in his car and then quickly turns around so that Dean can’t catch him watching. The last thing he needs is for Dean to think he’s creepy.

Balthazar steers Castiel back to the couch and he lets himself be sat down. He’s still clutching the hat to his chest.

“Why don’t we watch a movie, darling?” Balthazar says, still not removing his arm from around Castiel’s torso. Castiel nods blindly. Balthazar turns on _Captain America_ and settles close to Castiel’s side. Every time that Balthazar stops kissing Castiel’s neck and cheeks and lips and tunes into the movie, Castiel leans over and sneaks inhales of Dean’s scent off of the hat.

He wants his mate.

 

~*~

 

Castiel cries the day that Dean leaves for college in Boston. He refuses to leave his bed or eat the whole day.

 

~*~

 

“Mr. Turner hates me!” Sam exclaims, throwing his hands up into the air. “There’s no other explanation for why he gave me a C on that paper.”

Jess giggles and Castiel bites the inside of his bottom lip to keep from smiling. Sam can be so overdramatic sometimes.

“He doesn’t hate you,” Jess says, laying her hand gently on Sam’s arm. They’ve been going out for a few months, but Castiel, Benny, and Charlie are the only ones who know. The five of them still hang out whenever possible, even if Dean’s in Boston. _But Dean’s going to be home next week,_ Castiel thinks, his heart filling with bubbles and rising to the top of his chest.

Sam isn’t the only one with a countdown.

“You should see the way he looks at me!” Sam says. He looks so serious and so ridiculous with his eyes popping out of their sockets. “It’s like he thinks I’m going to burn down the entire building!”

Jess loses it and Castiel laughs despite himself. Sam only rolls his eyes and runs his hands through his hair. He ends up laughing a little bit too.

Castiel is just about to tell Sam that Mr. Turner only gave him that C because he forgot to answer a part of the prompt when he smells it. He stops walking and sniffs the air. _Yes._ He whips his head toward the parking lot and takes a longer whiff. This must be a trick, a left over trail of a scent from years ago that somehow managed to survive this long. But Castiel keeps looking. He keeps looking because that’s his _mate’s_ scent.

Jess rests her hand on his arm and says something, but Castiel isn’t listening. His eyes scan the crowd and then – Dean. Sitting on the hood of the Impala is Dean Winchester staring right back at Castiel. A low whine sounds in his throat, but he can’t move. He’s frozen. They stare at each other for a long time, Sam and Jess increasingly getting worried.

And then Dean raises his arm and waves at Castiel and that’s it, he can’t stand still anymore. In the blink of an eye, Castiel is breaking from Jess’s grip around his arm and running toward Dean, running toward his mate.

Sam yells out “Castiel!” but Castiel ignores him and keeps running. It’s been two years and his mate is right there, he has to get to him, he needs to get to him. He can hear Jess and Sam running behind him and calling his name, but he just runs faster.

When he’s ten feet away, his legs threaten to turn to jelly. He stops, chest rising and falling with each erratic breath he takes. Dean is frozen, his eyes never having unlocked from Castiel’s. Sam and Jess stop.

There’s an excited noise from behind him. “Dean!” Sam yells.

Castiel continues running. He reaches Dean first, flinging himself at the alpha and wrapping him in the tightest embrace. Sam and Jess get there moments later and join the hug. They all start talking at once and Castiel is only slightly embarrassed by the few low whimpers that fall past his lips. Dean smells so good, Castiel has no idea how he survived the past two years without the scent of his alpha. Being at the Winchester house always made him feel depressed for hours, sometimes days if he missed his alpha more than usual.

“Alright, alright,” Dean says, feigning annoyance. “Gimme some air.”

They all pull back, even though Castiel is reluctant to do so.

“Sam said you weren’t coming back until next week,” Jess says.

Dean grins. “Wanted it to be a surprise.” He ruffles Sam’s hair, earning himself a squawk of protest. “You need a haircut, Samsquatch. And when did you get so freaking tall?”

Castiel takes the chance to speak and perks up. “He went through a massive growth spurt a few – ” A new scent catches in Castiel’s nose. He scents the air as subtly as possible. There’s the scent of an omega in Dean’s car, an unmated omega. There isn’t only traces of the scent, the entire car fucking reeks of it.

Rage boils Castiel’s blood and he holds back an enraged growl. When he speaks again, his voice is cold and distant, his jaw clenched in steely anger. “– months ago.” He knows that anger must be filtering into his scent, but he’s past the point of caring. Dean’s obviously taken back by his sudden anger, but the alpha deserves to be upset. After all, he is messing around with other omegas.

Jess nudges Castiel in the arm and gives him a questioning look, but he ignores it.

“Umm, so, do you guys want a ride?” Dean asks, obviously trying to diffuse the tension. Castiel knows he’s being stupid, that he has no real claim over Dean, but the scent of that…that omega in Dean’s car is infuriating.

“Yeah!” Jess grabs Sam’s hand and pulls him in with her. Of course, Castiel wants to go with Dean, but he can’t stand to sit inside that car with the stench of another omega surrounding him and mingling with Dean’s scent. He doesn’t get the option to say no, because Sam is sending him a look and all he can do is climb in to the back seat with them and pray to god for patience.

“You know,” Dean drawls, walking around the car and taking his spot in the driver’s seat. “You don’t have to all squish into the back seat.”

Castiel slams the door shut and stares out the window. He was going over to Sam’s house anyway today to work on an English project, he might as well hitch a ride with them. He doesn’t speak for the entirety of the ride, only giving short answers to any questions thrown his way. As soon as they’re parked in the driveway, Castiel’s out of the car and stomping into the house.

It’s going to be a long day.

 

~*~

 

“Castiel, tell me,” Dean commands, letting the smallest edge of his alpha voice bleed into the words. They’re standing in the parking lot outside of a pizza parlor, yelling at each other and scaring other potential customers. Dean’s angry because Castiel just got harassed, and he should be angry, but he shouldn’t be inappropriately directing the anger at Castiel.

Castiel’s eyes are fire when he looks up. “No.” It feels like his heart is about to break. The strain going through his body from directly disobeying his alpha is unbearable, but he must bear it. With a slight tremor in his voice, Castiel says, “You are not my Alpha, you cannot make me.”

There’s a searing pain ripping through Castiel’s heart, but he pushes through it. He isn’t what Dean wants, he isn’t what Dean needs. He can’t tie Dean down.

Dean’s jaw drops at the words and his wounded expression makes it seem as if Castiel just slapped him across the face. Castiel averts his eyes. He wants to take the words back, to embrace Dean and never let him go, to free his scent and confess his love, but he can’t. He’s hid who he is for so long, he can’t succumb to weakness now.

He clenches his hands into fists at his sides. He needs to be strong for his alpha.

There’s a slam and Castiel looks up from where he’d been staring at the ground, instinctively falling into his submissive practice. Dean’s in the car, so Castiel slowly opens the door to the back row and sits as far away from Dean as possible. He lifts his legs and buries his face in his knees. His entire body is shaking, screaming at him to comfort his alpha, but he can’t risk telling Dean his secret.

Grief and hurt are rolling off of Dean, hitting the omega’s nose and making him want to cry because _he_ caused that. _He_ is the one causing his alpha so much pain.

Neither of them speak the whole way home, the only sounds are from the engine and the wind whipping through the open windows. To add fuel to the fire, the drunk alpha’s scent is still clinging to Castiel’s clothes. When they arrive back at the Winchester home, Castiel heads straight to Sam’s room and locks the door behind him. Sam will understand.

For now, he needs to be alone. Castiel just hopes that Dean is okay.

Because he sure as hell isn’t.

 

~*~

 

Castiel refuses to see Dean. He doesn’t need to see the pain in the alpha’s eyes. His body hurts enough already.

 

~*~

 

Castiel wakes up cocooned in a blanket of his and Dean’s scents and the feeling of a warm arm wrapped protectively around his waist. He snuggles closer into Dean’s chest, breathing a sigh of relief at the warmth he finds. Dean hums in his sleep, his arm tightening around Castiel’s body.

After some time, Castiel grows restless. He’s been in bed with Dean for four days, the alpha helping him through his heat. He heard his parents come home that first night, but he hasn’t heard or smelt them since. The heat is gone now, and Castiel can finally lie with his alpha without feeling the need pulling inside of him.

He’s denied himself Dean for so long, stubbornly believing that the alpha wouldn’t want him. He’d been so wrong, and he’s lucky Dean isn’t angry with him for hiding from him. But Dean isn’t like those other alphas, the ones that believe omegas are inferior, Dean’s a good alpha. Dean loves him. And not just because they’re true mates.

A comforting warmth settles in Castiel’s heart and he smiles into the skin of Dean’s arm. Something must change in his scent – the one that Dean can now smell, since Castiel hasn’t taken his suppressants in days – because Dean stirs and his breathing changes.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Dean whispers, placing a chaste kiss to the back of Castiel’s neck. The omega hums, closing his eyes at such a loving gesture.

“Good morning, alpha.”

Dean works his way across the back of Castiel’s neck with chaste, soft kisses. “You don’t need to call me that.”

Castiel rolls over so that he’s facing Dean. “I want to,” he whispers, looking directly into Dean’s eyes. “I’ve wanted to for years.” Castiel quiets for a moment, looking down at the freckles that splatter across Dean’s nose and cheekbones. “Especially after I lied and said you weren’t.”

Even the memory of that day causes emotion to well in his throat. It hurt so much when he told Dean that he’s not his alpha. He’d been a mess that entire night and Benny had to drive him home at one am because he was choking on Dean’s scent.

“Hey,” Dean whispers, bringing his fingertips to Castiel’s chin and forcing him to look up into his eyes. “I love you. You were hurting and I wasn’t helping, I don’t blame you for that.”

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Castiel says, closing his eyes.

Dean pulls him in to his chest and presses a kiss to his hair. “All is forgiven, Cas.”

And there’s that nickname again. No one has ever called him anything other than Castiel, except for Gabriel and Balthazar who both liked to call him Cassie. But Dean gave him a new name, a cherished name. Castiel loves it.

Dean presses a kiss to the mating mark he put on Castiel four days ago, the wound still not fully healed. Castiel moans at the feeling, flashing his eyes open to meet Dean’s bright green ones.

“I still can’t believe that we’re really true mates,” Dean says, continuing to pepper kisses to the mating mark. “I’ve wanted you for so long and now that I have you, I couldn’t be happier.”

Castiel purrs deep in his throat and surges forward to capture Dean’s lips with his own.

“My alpha,” he whispers, letting all of his love bleed into his voice.

Dean’s eyes soften and he kisses him back. “My omega.”

 

~*~

 

“Hey, Cas,” Dean says softly, lowering his voice. Ever since they mated Dean’s been calling him Cas instead of Castiel, it’s just stuck. Castiel blinks up at him with his wide blue eyes, offering him his attention. Dean licks his lips and looks at him shyly. “I transferred to Kansas University.”

 

~*~

 

“I’m going out!”

Castiel’s almost out the door – almost in blessed freedom – when Mom catches his arm and pulls him back into the house.

“Where are you going?” Mom asks, her arms now crossed in front of her chest.

“To the skating rink.”

“Is _he_ going to be there?”

Mom won’t even refer to Dean by name anymore. Ever since Castiel switched to less harsh suppressants, ones that don’t cover his scent, Mom’s been extremely over protective.

Castiel rolls his eyes and inches closer to the door. “There’s going to be a bunch of us there.”

Mom slits her eyes. “So he _is_ going to be there.” There’s an edge to Mom’s scent, a dangerous one. It isn’t that she doesn’t approve of Dean, it’s that she doesn’t approve of Castiel being mated yet. He swears, the day he turns eighteen Mom’s going to magically fall in love with their mating and welcome Dean to the family. But that’s in over a year.

“He’s my _mate,_ ” Castiel hisses. “You can’t keep me away from him.”

“You’re too young to be mated,” Mom says. This is an old argument, one that’s been going on for months. Dean isn’t allowed into their house unless Mom isn’t home. At least Dad supports their mating.

Castiel throws his hands into the air and resists the urge to growl. “Would you rather have me mated at twelve?” Why won’t his mother just accept it already? He’s tired of fighting, so tired. “I waited four years; the worst four years of my life!”

He doesn’t care what she has to say. He turns on his heel and stomps out of the house, running to his beat up Prius and driving off.

“I just don’t get it,” Castiel whimpers once he’s in Dean’s arms at the skating rink. “She always liked you before.”

“Shh,” Dean says, rubbing his hands up and down Castiel’s back. “It’s alright, baby.”

Castiel buries his face deeper into Dean’s shoulder when Jess comes over. “What’s wrong?”

“His mom is still pissed that he’s mated.”

Jess scowls and rests a hand on Castiel’s back. “She’ll come around, Cas. I’m sure of it.”

It turns out they’re right, because a week later, Mom comes into his room late at night and sits on his bed while he does homework at his desk. Castiel can smell the trepidation in her scent – she’s nervous.

“Your father and I have been talking,” she says after ten minutes of awful silence. Castiel nods without looking back at her. He bites his lip, his pen hovers above his notes without writing anything. “About you and Dean.”

Castiel’s breath catches in his throat and he turns around to stare at his mom. She’s staring back at him, her gray eyes intense.

“I would like to apologize,” she says, still hesitant. Castiel cocks his head to the side. What? “I’m afraid your father’s talked some sense into me. It’s useless trying to keep you away from Dean, it’s obvious that you love him.”

“Mom…”

“I just wanted you to get married before getting mated,” Mom says, her eyes welling with tears. Shit. “You’re my little baby and you’re growing up so fast.”

“Mom,” Castiel gets up from the desk and wraps his arms around his mother, holding her close. “I’m still your son, whether I’m mated or not, I’m still yours.”

There’s a sob, and Castiel knows it isn’t his. He hugs his mom tighter, sending out soothing omega pheromones to help her calm down.

“I love you, Castiel.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

Dad walks in a few minutes later and joins their hug, sandwiching Castiel between them. The three of them stay there for a long time, eventually lying back onto Castiel’s bed while still staying connected. Things have been tense between the three of them the past few months. This feels like heaven.

“Would Dean like to come for dinner tomorrow?” Mom asks softly.

Castiel lights up. How could he be happier? Mom is finally accepting Dean, she’s finally accepting their mating.

“He’d love to.”

The three of them watch the bee documentary Castiel’s been dying to see together as a family. All their scents are warm and happy, so unlike the usual distance between all of them. Things can only get better from here.

 

~*~

 

_Sam’s a mess._

_Why?_

Castiel’s phone rings and he answers it, albeit hesitantly.

“ _Jess broke up with him._ ”

Castiel sits up in bed, all lingering sleepiness forgotten. “What? Why?”

Dean sighs, and Castiel knows instinctively that Dean’s running his hand through his hair. “ _She presented as an alpha. It isn’t safe for a female alpha to carry another alpha’s pups, so she wants to mate a beta._ ”

“Oh my god,” Castiel whispers. Jess and Sam have been together for years, everyone assumed that they’d mate and start a family. “Is this a prank?”

“ _No, I’m dead serious. Sam’s in his room bawling his eyes out and cursing his knot._ ” There’s a rustle and then from the distance a screamed, “ _Why won’t it just fall off?_ ”

“Can I come see him?”

Dean’s silent for a moment and Castiel can hear him speaking to Sam from far away. “ _Sam said yes._ ”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

Having completely disregard for speed limits, Castiel gets to the Winchester home in record time. Mary, she insisted Castiel call her by her first name as soon as he and Dean mated, answers the door. She looks exhausted.

“Hey, Cas,” she says, a sad smile on her face. “Dean’s upstairs.”

Castiel shakes his head, walking into the house behind Mary. “I’m here for Sam.”

A soft, small sound escapes her. “You heard?”

Castiel nods. “I brought him gummy worms, I know they’re the only candy he likes.”

Mary smiles, this one not as sad. “You’re a good friend. God knows he needs one right now.”

She walks back to the couch where she was presumably sitting with John, who nods at Castiel.

When Castiel gets upstairs, he’s taken back by the overwhelming scent of an alpha in distress. His inner omega instincts kick in, telling him to go to the alpha and comfort them.

Sam’s door is unlocked, so Castiel makes his way inside, holding the bag of gummy worms out in front of him. Sam’s sitting on the edge of his bed, wrapped up in a big, chunky blanket. The only light in the room comes from the window.

“Sam?”

The alpha looks up, his eyes shining with tears. “Cas,” he chokes out, the strain obvious in his voice. Castiel surges forward, dropping the gummy worms and wrapping his arms around his best friend, pulling him in close. He sends out soothing pheromones, letting his scent wash over the reek of alpha distress.

“It’ll be okay, Sam,” Cas whispers.

Sam sobs, burying his nose into Castiel’s neck, seeking comfort in the omega. If it were anyone else, he’d feel violated, but Sam’s his best friend. “I can’t believe she left me.”

“She still loves you,” Castiel says. “You have to understand that.”

“I do,” Sam sniffles. “She wants to carry her own pups. I get it. I just…” Sam breaks off and buries his nose deeper into Castiel’s neck. “I just love her so much!”

Castiel shushes him from the next sobbing episode, sending out his scent triple fold. To be honest, Castiel’s still in shock. He always thought he’d be one of the groomsmen at Sam and Jess’s wedding.

“You’ll be okay,” Castiel reassures again. Sam needs to believe it. “Can you repeat that? Can you tell me that you’ll be okay?” There’s no answer other than a sniffle. “Please, Sam.”

A shaky breath, and then, “I’ll be okay.”

Castiel smiles, even though it’s a bit watery. When did he start crying?

“You’re strong,” Castiel whispers, and now he can hear the tremors in his own voice. “You _will_ get through this.”

They’re quiet for a while after that, both lost in thought. Jess must be in pain right now, too. If he weren’t comforting Sam right now, he would be with her. Maybe he can send Charlie to comfort her. Sam falls asleep with his head on Castiel’s shoulder. He maneuvers them so that they’re lying down. Sam sleeps right through it.

Sam will still be heartbroken tomorrow, and next week, and next month, and probably the months after that. But he’ll be okay.

He will be.

 

~*~

 

As soon as the graduation ceremony’s over, Castiel runs to his mate and jumps into his arms. Dean kisses him eagerly, one hand rubbing his mating mark where it’s just barely hidden by the collar of his robe.

Sam pops up next to them and Dean puts Castiel down so that he can hug his brother.

“You did it, you brainiac,”Dean says, arm tight around Sam’s shoulder. “I’m so fucking proud of you, Sammy.”

Sam pushes him away and laughs. “Stop it, you’re going to make me cry.”

“Alphas can cry,” Castiel says. “It’s perfectly natural.”

Dean wraps his arms around Castiel and pulls him into a kiss, deepening it when Castiel moans into his mouth. Castiel’s arms wrap around Dean’s neck and pull him closer, hiking up one of his legs to wrap it around Dean’s hip.

“Cassie, you absolute slut.”

Oh, Gabriel.

Dean breaks away from Castiel’s lips and growls at the newcomer. Behind them, Sam is also growling. Castiel feels blessed to be surrounded by such protective alphas.

“Dean, it’s okay,” Castiel says, placing a gentle hand onto Dean’s cheek and forcing him to look into his eyes. “It’s just my obnoxious cousin.”

Castiel unwinds himself from around Dean and sighs. “Dean, Sam, meet Gabriel. He’s a harmless bastard.”

Gabriel smirks and looks Sam up and down, his gaze widening the longer he stares. The lollipop resting in his mouth goes still, Gabriel’s attention solely on Dean’s little brother. An awkward silence settles, one which is only broken by a low whistle from the short man. “Damn, I’d like to climb you like a tree.”

“Gabriel!”

Sam’s entire face turns scarlet and he makes a lame excuse about going to find Mom and Dad, leaving Castiel glaring at his cousin.

“What?” Gabriel asks, cocky smile stretched across his lips. “Not my fault he smells like a goddamn perfect candy shop.”

Castiel looks at Dean and meets his eyes. Together, wicked smiles transform their expressions. Well, Castiel hadn’t exactly seen this coming.

“Sam will be at dinner with us,” Castiel tells his cousin. His family, Dean’s family, Benny, Charlie, and Jess and her family are all having dinner together at the Roadhouse. Things are much better between Sam and Jess now, even if it is a little stilted.

Gabriel grins, sucking on the lollipop again.

By the end of the night, Sam and Gabriel are sitting close together with sappy smiles on their faces.

 

~*~

 

It isn’t that Bartholomew smells _bad_ exactly, he just doesn’t smell right. The beta smells like clean laundry, which in itself is quite a nice smell, but…he doesn’t smell like mate. Dean’s supportive of Castiel’s decision to spend his freshman year of college in a dorm so that he can get the full college experience, and Castiel’s grateful, but he can’t help but wish that Dean had tried to convince him to stay.

It’s stupid, it really is. But it’s not embarrassing, not like having his mate’s shirt hidden under his pillow. Which Castiel doesn’t have. He doesn’t.

(He might.)

“Hey, Cas,” Bartholomew says, stealing Castiel’s attention away from where he’s supposed to be doing his homework for his required math course. “I’m heading out.”

Castiel nods. “Be safe.”

Bartholomew laughs and smiles sweetly. “It’s a Friday night, Cas, why don’t you come with us?”

Castiel looks back down at his homework and chews on his bottom lip. He hasn’t gone to any college parties yet, and he’s been here for over three months. What he’s afraid of is some drunk alpha thinking he’s fresh meat. But Bartholomew said he could go with him, so that means he would stay around Castiel, right? And he’s always glared at alphas whenever they’ve leered at Castiel.

“If you’re sure,” Castiel says. Bartholomew lights up and nods excitedly.

“Yes, of course.” He sounds like an excited puppy. “You’ll get along great with my friends.”

An hour later and Castiel’s awkwardly trailing Bartholomew around some random senior’s apartment with a bottle of shitty beer in his hand. He’s barely drank any of it. He’s talked amiably with everyone Bartholomew’s introduced him to, but so far nothing even remotely eventful has happened.

“You’re only grumpy because you’re the only completely sober one here,” Bartholomew says when Castiel tells him that he’s bored. “If you don’t like the beer, I can find you something else.”

Castiel pouts but concedes. “Fine, but nothing that’s going to hurt in the morning.”

Bartholomew merely laughs.

Castiel finds an empty seat on one of the couches and sits down. All around him are people dancing and getting smashed. They’re all laughing and smiling, but none of them are probably going to remember any of this tomorrow. The entire apartment reeks of sex and booze.

No one approaches him while Bartholomew is getting him drinks, so Castiel pulls out his phone to text Dean. They haven’t talked much in the past couple days, busy with school and work.

_Why did Voldemort always wait until the end of each school year to start shit?_

Bartholomew comes back before Dean answers. He hands Castiel a blue drink that smells like sugar.

“Just drink it,” the beta says. “You’ll like it.”

Tentatively, Castiel raises the glass to his lips and takes a small sip. Flavor explodes on his tongue and he makes a deep sound from within his chest. What is this? It’s _amazing_. Castiel downs the whole thing within seconds.

“What was that?” he asks, his breath short from chugging.

Bartholomew smiles. “That, my dear friend, is your ticket to a fun night.”

Things get a little blurry after that.

Somewhere after his third – fourth? fifth? – glass of whatever that blue stuff is, Castiel feels the urge to dance. He manages to get Bartholomew to dance with him, however bad they both seem to be at it. Castiel’s more than a little buzzed, and he feels _great_. Why hasn’t he gone to any of these parties before?

An alpha saddles up next to him and wraps his arm around Castiel’s waist, pulling the omega close to him and grinding against him.

Oh, that’s why.

Castiel pushes at the alpha and glares once they’re disconnected.

“I’m mated,” Castiel yells over the blasting music.

The alpha shrugs. “I don’t see your alpha anywhere.”

Castiel growls, and is momentarily shocked to hear Bartholomew growling next to him.

“Fuck off, knothead,” Bartholomew yells.

The alpha glares at Bartholomew for a long time before flipping them off and disappearing into the crowd. Almost immediately, Castiel gets back to dancing. He feels so free and happy.

“That guy’s a frat boy,” Bartholomew says.

“Well,” Castiel says, closing his eyes and moving his body to the beat of the music. “He can go fuck himself.”

Bartholomew laughs and then it’s as if the alpha was never there. A few of Bartholomew’s other friends join them later, and Castiel almost blushes when Hael tells him that he has the prettiest eyes she’s ever seen. Dean tells him that sometimes.

“Castiel?”

Castiel turns around and sees Charlie staring at him with her head cocked to the side. Upon eye contact, her pupils blow wide. “What are you doing here?”

Castiel laughs, and he can’t stop. He motions to his dancing and his friends – or well, Bartholomew’s friends. Hael taps him on the shoulder and hands him another glass of that blue ambrosia. Castiel moans at the sight.

Charlie’s hand comes out of nowhere and takes the drink away from him. “Don’t drink that!”

Castiel pouts, his vision not allowing him to see if Charlie’s angry. “Why not?”

Charlie huffs and grabs his arm. “Because not only are you underage, but that drink’s going to make your pheromones scream “fuck me!”’

Castiel squints at her before he starts laughing. “I’m a male ‘mega,” he slurs. When did his words start slurring? “Alphas always wanna fuck me.”

Charlie growls and Castiel stares at her. The other omega has never growled at him, not even when they’re messing around.

“Castiel Novak, you stupid freshman!” She pulls him away from the others and pushes a kissing couple off of the couch before practically shoving Castiel down. “I’m getting Dean.”

Panic floods through Castiel’s veins. She can’t.

“Charlie, please don’t,” Castiel begs, promptly bursting into tears. “Dean’ll get mad and then he won’t want me anymore ‘cause I’m a bad omega.”

Charlie sits down next to Castiel on the couch and pats his leg. “Is this your first college party?” Castiel nods. He doesn’t even know if Bartholomew’s near him because his tears are blurring his vision even more than the alcohol is. “Who knows you’re here?”

Castiel sniffles. “Bartholomew and his friends.”

Charlie nods, rubbing soothing circles on Castiel’s leg. “I won’t get Dean as long as you stop drinking.”

Castiel nods quickly, looking up at her with wide eyes. “I promise. I can be a good omega.”

Something shifts in Charlie’s eyes and Castiel catches a faint curl of sadness in the air around her. “I’ll be here if you need me. Call me or come find me.”

He sits alone for a few minutes after she leaves him. He can’t drink anymore of that ambrosia, he doesn’t want to disappoint Dean by knowingly sending out mating pheromones. Even if that isn’t his intention.

The group looks at him oddly when he gets back to them, but they accept him back into their circle nonetheless. Before he knows it, he’s dancing again.

Castiel gets lost in the moment. The music pounding in his heart, the mass of scents clouding his senses, the high he has from dancing. It’s almost all too much.

He’s shooting back a line of shots before he remembers that he’s not supposed to be drinking. But he forgets that again when he’s offered a beer. It’s the same shitty beer that he had when he got there, but he can barely taste it now.

Clear vision isn’t something Castiel needs, anyway.

“I need to pee,” Castiel says, grabbing Bartholomew’s shoulder and pulling him back from kissing Hael. They both start laughing and Castiel scrunches up his nose into a pout. But then he’s laughing, too.

“The bathroom’s down the hall,” Hael says, already leaning in to kiss Bartholomew again. “First door on the left.”

Castiel mutters thanks before heading across the apartment. He’s almost there when he smells it, campfires and soap. Alpha?

He comes to a halt, all of his available senses narrowing down onto that one scent and locking in on it. He spots Dean easily, leaning up against the kitchen counter and smiling down at a girl. Castiel sniffs again and realizes that she’s an omega.

Dean looks happy, his scent and posture seem to say so. Why didn’t Dean tell him that he’d be here? Maybe he did. Castiel takes out his phone and sees that he has three text messages and a missed call from Dean. It’s difficult to read the small letters, but if he squints in just the right way and holds the phone up to his face, it’s almost decipherable.

_He wanted to be a teacher, right? Teachers care about that shit_

_I don’t have work tonight, wanna meet up?_

_Since you aren’t responding and it’s been over an hour I’m gonna head out to a party at Benny’s cousin’s place. Call me._

Why didn’t Charlie tell him that Dean’s here? She probably came here with him. Castiel frowns at his phone and looks back up at Dean, instantly wishing he hadn’t. The bottom of his stomach drops out and his heart physically aches. Tears well in his eyes instantly, but they don’t blur his vision enough that he can’t see what’s happening not fifteen feet in front of him.

Dean’s kissing another omega.

Two things happen simultaneously, Castiel whines high in his throat and Dean pushes the girl off of him. Their eyes lock and time stands still. The people around them are watching, confused by the mix of anger, pain, and mating pheromones flowing from Castiel’s scent. Dean looks as if he’s being held at gun point.

Castiel’s going to throw up.

He barely makes it to the toilet in time, pushing people out of his way in his haste. He hurls into the toilet bowl, his sobs silenced by his retching. His eyes and his throat burn and all he wants is for a hole to open up out of the floor and swallow him. He always knew Dean wanted a girl; he’d never want a male omega. Dean’s just too nice, he’s been leading Castiel on when he doesn’t even want him.

A warm, familiar hand settles on Castiel’s shoulder and applies the tiniest bit of pressure. He knows exactly whose hand that is.

“It’s okay,” Dean shushes, gliding his hands across Castiel’s shoulders and back. “Just let it out.”

Castiel vomits again. This goes on for some time until his throat is raw and he’s dry heaving. It’s then that he pushes Dean’s hands away from him and he curls into a ball next to the toilet.

Dean doesn’t love him. He wants the other omega. Castiel’s going to be abandoned after all.

“Cas,” Dean whispers, reaching out his hand tentatively. Castiel whines and squeezes his eyes shut.

“Don’t touch me,” he hisses.

“Cas,” Dean tries again. “Please, I don’t like her. I don’t even know her. She just came up to me and started talking and then all of a sudden she was kissing me and I pushed her off. I never kissed her back, I swear.”

Castiel doesn’t say anything, his alcohol riddled mind needs time to process Dean’s words.

“I love you, I don’t want anyone else. I’ll never want anyone else.”

When he opens his eyes enough to see through his tears, he can see the open pain and honesty written across Dean’s face. Castiel sniffs the air but he doesn’t detect anything that would suggest Dean’s lying. He whines, surging forward and allowing himself to be wrapped into his alpha’s arms.

“Dean,” he whispers, baring his neck for him. Dean presses his nose to his throat and inhales. He allows Castiel to do the same. “You don’t want a girl?”

Dean sighs and holds Castiel tighter. “We’ve been over this, Cas. I want _you._ ”

They sit in silence for a while, both settling in their shared scents.

“What are you doing here?” Dean asks after a while.

Castiel looks down at the floor. “My roommate invited me.”

Dean scrunches his forehead. “Isn’t he a freshman, too?” Castiel nods. “It’s just…this is a senior party.”

“Oh,” Castiel says. “That’s what Charlie said too.”

“You saw Charlie?”

Castiel nods. Dean presses a kiss to Castiel’s forehead and helps him to stand. “She never mentioned running into you.”

“I didn’t know you were here either.”

“I am,” Dean says, leaning in and taking another whiff of Castiel’s scent. “And you smell amazing.”

Castiel giggles. Maybe he’s still a little drunk.

“You smell quite fuckable yourself.”

Dean laughs and hooks an arm around Castiel’s shoulder. “Wanna get out of here?”

“ _Yes._ ”

 

~*~

 

“Dean, answer your phone,” Castiel growls. “I need you home _now._ ”

Castiel ends the call and tosses the phone across the bed, rolling over and thrusting shallowly into their shared mattress. He moved into an apartment with Dean after finishing his freshman year. Now that Dean’s already graduated and working full time at Singer’s Salvage and Castiel’s going to be graduating in a few months, their shared apartment is their home together.

Castiel’s heat is three days early, which means neither of them were expecting it. He barely got out of class and into the apartment before slick leaked through his jeans. Dean, though, is still at work and can’t bother to _answer the fucking phone._

The heat is insatiable for a mated omega without their alpha there to help them through it.

The friction from the sheets underneath him barely helps, but it’s enough to get him close to orgasm. He reaches his hand behind him and slips two fingers easily into his hole. The scent of his slick is overwhelming, fogging the air so it smells too-sweet.

Castiel rocks back onto the fingers until he grazes his prostate, the sensation spiking pleasure through his body. What he really needs is a knot, his alpha’s knot, but Dean isn’t home. Castiel has half a mind to drag himself to the garage, rip Dean out from under whatever car he’s under, and impale himself on his mate’s cock. Dean would be so surprised, but he’d buck up into Castiel on instinct, give his mate what he needs. All of Dean’s co-workers would watch raptly, not sure if they should give the pair space or if they should join. But Dean would be possessive, he’d force Castiel down farther on his cock and glare at every alpha that looks their way. Castiel would come, white strips painting their chests as Dean’s knot expands inside of him, locking them together.

The fantasy is what pushes him over the edge.

His floats in the aftershocks of his orgasm for a while, breathing heavily into the pillow that smells the most like Dean. When he regains control of his limbs, he reaches blindly for his phone. It’s a challenge, but he eventually finds it hidden between a mess of blankets. He snaps a picture of himself post-orgasm, come, slick, and sweat coating his skin, and sends it to Dean.

He falls asleep waiting for a response.

When he wakes up again, an hour’s passed and there’s still no sign of Dean. Castiel’s inner omega growls, frustrated by his alpha’s inability to help him through his heat. He didn’t get off of his suppressants just for his alpha to not show up for the main event.

He gets off two more times, each time his body aching for his alpha’s knot, before he passes out once more. Dean promised he would never have to go through another heat alone, but here he is.

The next time he wakes up, it’s to the scent of an alpha’s arousal and big hands kneading his ass. Castiel instantly recognizes the scent, campfires and soap.

“ _Dean,_ ” Castiel moans, pushing his hips back. The alpha rolls his hips against Castiel’s ass and he can feel the hard cock pressing against his crack through the denim of Dean’s jeans. “Fuck me.”

Dean moans and pulls his hips back. Castiel whines. “Fuck, Cas.”

The sound of Dean’s zipper is music to Castiel’s ears. Within seconds the blunt head of Dean’s dick is nudging at Castiel’s hole, teasing him.

“You’re all wet and open for me. Bet you got off thinking of me before you sent me that dirty picture. Bobby almost saw when I opened that message,” Dean says, pushing in just barely, only to pull right back out. Castiel’s going to kill him. Instead of lying there and taking Dean’s knot like he would during a heat, Castiel flips them around, using Dean’s shock to his advantage, and settles atop his alpha.

“You were a bad alpha today,” Castiel chastises, hole pulsing at the sight of Dean’s lust blown pupils and heaving chest. “Made me wait for hours. Had to rely on my fingers instead of your fat, alpha knot.”

Dean moans, trying to slip the tip of his cock into Castiel’s hole, but Castiel won’t allow it. He knows that Dean can very easily take control of the situation and demand Castiel’s submission, but he won’t yet. Secretly, Dean likes being controlled sometimes.

“I didn’t have my phone with me, omega,” Dean says, eyes tracking Castiel’s every movement. Castiel hums, pretending to be thinking it over. “I didn’t know until my lunch break. I came as soon as I could.”

Castiel smirks. “Oh, you won’t be, but I will.” And with that, Castiel slides down on Dean’s cock until he’s fully seated. Last month during Dean’s rut, they’d mated for three straight days in a row. Castiel’s heat will last longer than that, he’s sure of it.

They set a quick rhythm, Castiel’s too overcome with the heat to want anything else. He bounces on top of Dean, rolling his hips and taking his alpha’s cock as deep as he can. What he really wants is a knot, and he’s determined to get it.

Without warning, Dean grabs Castiel’s arms and flips them again so that he’s on top. He pins Castiel’s limbs to the bed, his arms above his head and his legs spread obscenely wide.

“My perfect little omega,” Dean says, leaning forward to kiss Castiel’s neck as he pounds into him. “So good. So good for me.”

Castiel keens, baring his neck for his alpha to bite. His mating mark is over four years old, he wants Dean to bite down and renew it. Dean must read his mind because he quickens the pace of his hips and kisses only around the mating mark, whispering “ _mine_ ” the entire time.

Dean’s knot starts to swell and he grazes Castiel’s prostate at every thrust, aiming for that bundle of nerves that sends pleasure coursing through Castiel’s being. Castiel moans loudly, limbs pushing against Dean to writhe under his knot. He needs it. He needs it now.

Castiel screams when Dean’s knot forces its way past his rim and Dean’s teeth latch onto the mating mark and dig in. He’s overcome with pleasure, vision whiting out and time lasting forever.

When he comes back to the present, Dean’s licking at the mating mark, cleaning the new wound. Castiel smiles and pats down Dean’s hair.

“I love you, Alpha.”

Dean kisses the mating mark and looks back up at Castiel with love in his eyes. “I love you, too, omega.”

Castiel falls asleep cocooned by his alpha, wrapped in the comforting scent. Dean sings to him, his soft voice echoing into Castiel’s dreams.

On the third day, the heat is no longer burning him from the inside, but is instead a simmer – always there, but not insistent.

Dean brings Castiel half a bagel, a few orange slices, and some apple juice; it’s all he can stomach. They throw on Lord of the Rings: Two Towers and wait until Castiel’s heat flares. Bobby’s letting Dean take work off until the heat is completely gone, and Castiel gets excused from classes.

“What made you want to get off your suppressants?” Dean asks just as Gollum steals the bread . Castiel fiddles with the blankets.

“I wanted this.”

Dean scrunches his brow. “I know you wanted it, but why?”

“No, I wanted _this_.” Castiel motions to himself and Dean. “This closeness. The two of us together without any interaction to the outside world.”

Dean smiles, a wide, brilliant beam of light. Castiel can’t help but fall in love with him all over again.

“You’re cute, you know that?”

Castiel flushes, this time not from his heat.

He makes it through almost the entire movie before the need becomes too much. Slick pools underneath him and he whines lowly, reaching out for his alpha. Dean’s there in an instant, scooping Castiel into his arms and mouthing at his mating mark. The wound is mostly healed. Castiel could die from happiness.

Dean kisses down Castiel’s body, teasing at his nipples before going lower. Castiel watches with rapt attention, eyes memorizing the way Dean’s soft lips press softly to his sweaty skin, the love and hunger in Dean’s eyes, the gentle touches as he soothes down Castiel’s trembling muscles. The first lick to his slick hole makes him close his eyes on a sigh.

Smooth, gentle licks follow the first one, each sending pleasure slowly through him. Unlike the past few days, Castiel can think, he can pleasure the moment. He can catalog the different ways that each lick and suck affects him, how Dean reacts to the different levels of desire coursing through Castiel’s scent. Heat sex is great, but this is what Castiel loves the most. The sex that happens toward the end of a heat, when desire and need is pulsing through his veins, but both of them are cognizant and _there._

It’s amazing.

Dean sucks at his rim one last time before pulling off and trailing upwards once more. The alpha brackets him with his body, surrounding him and making him feel safe. They kiss then, Castiel tasting himself on Dean’s tongue. His slick tastes sweet, too sweet for the omega, but Dean moans into his mouth.

He’s open wide, his rim fluttering and trying to grasp at something that isn’t there yet. “Dean,” Castiel whispers. “Dean, I need you.”

“Shh,” Dean leans his forehead against Castiel’s and stills. “I’ll take care of you.”

Dean lines himself up and pushes in slowly, watching Castiel’s face the entire time. When he bottoms out, he gives them both time to adjust. Castiel wraps his arms around Dean’s neck and his legs around Dean’s waist, pulling his alpha as close as he can.

“ _Dean._ ”

Dean silences him with his lips and pulls out so that only the tip of his cock is inside before pushing back in, this time quicker than before. Castiel eyes close and he gives himself over to complete sensation. Without his sight, he can feel each thrust graze his walls, each hit onto his prostate, Dean’s breath against the side of his neck, the small moans that they’re both making.

They rock against each other, a slow, loving rhythm. This isn’t sex; this is making love. There’s no denying it. His hormones betray him and he feels tears stinging behind his eyelids. He’s overwhelmed, body and mind not being able to find anything to focus on.

After a while, Dean’s knot starts to swell. Castiel’s limbs tighten around Dean’s body and he meets each thrust with one of his own. He can feel his orgasm on the horizon, close, but not immediate. Dean’s thrusts grow slightly erratic, his pattern losing its calculation.

“Cas,” Dean pants, his knot grazing against Castiel’s rim. “Mark me.”

Castiel’s whole body locks up and he stops thrusting back onto Dean’s cock. “What?” His eyes open wide, exposing enlarged pupils and gold ringed irises. Dean’s own are red.

“I want you to bite me.”

That can’t be true. Alphas never let their omegas bite them. It’s taboo. The mating mark is a symbol of ownership, however barbaric it seems. An alpha owns an omega, not the other way around.

“N-no,” Castiel pants, regaining his rhythm. Then Dean stops moving inside him, takes Castiel’s wrists in his hands and pins them above his head on the mattress.

“Cas, I want you to mark me.” Everything about him, from his posture to his scent, insinuates that he’s being honest. “I want everyone who looks at me to know that I belong to you.”

Castiel moans and nods. He can’t deny his alpha anything. Dean releases his wrists and Castiel immediately moves them back to Dean’s neck, the very same expanse of skin that Dean wants him to sink his teeth into. A shiver runs down his entire body at the thought.

Dean’s knot expands and with a particularly harsh thrust, he slams it inside. Castiel loses himself, dragging Dean’s throat down and piercing through skin with his teeth. Blood bursts into his mouth, but he keeps his mouth shut firmly around the skin as he crests, eyes shutting in pure pleasure.

He rides the high for as long as possible, spurred on by Dean’s shallow rocking and constant rumble. Dean’s fingers are tight around Castiel’s hip and shoulder, the alpha still coming inside his omega, his knot spilling seed, trying to bread an omega who has almost no chance of getting pregnant.

As he comes back to the real world, he slips his teeth out of Dean’s skin – _ew_ – and purrs low in his throat. The bite is in the exact same spot as where his own is. He licks the wound clean and nuzzles his cheek against his alpha’s.

Dean’s looking at him with so much love in his eyes that Castiel stops breathing.

“I love you,” Dean whispers.

Castiel melts into him and closes his eyes. “I love you, too.”

 

~*~

 

Castiel’s jeans don’t fit anymore. Every. Single. Pair. Is. Too. Fucking. Small. His sweatpants are even a little snug, but at least those will rest over his belly, unlike the jeans that refuse to button. Frustration builds in his chest and he feels tears welling in his eyes. He won’t cry over this, he _won’t._

The first tear isn’t a surprise.

He hasn’t been running as much recently as he used to, maybe that’s what’s going on. But even without running, he shouldn’t be this bloated. He stares down at his stomach and watches it rise and fall in time with his breathing. How can Dean want him like this?

Dean’s jeans are bigger, they might fit. Castiel goes to Dean’s drawers and pulls out the most generic looking pair. They’re soft and they smell like Dean. Castiel’s somewhat shocked when they button. The pair is an inch or so too long, but he can just roll up the bottom and no one will know the difference – not even Dean, hopefully.

The front door opens and said man walks into their apartment. Castiel can smell the fatigue in Dean’s scent. He’s been working overtime recently, even if he insists he isn’t.

“Cas?” Dean calls.

“In the bedroom.”

Castiel looks down at his hands in his lap as Dean comes in. Dean sits down on the bed next to him and pulls his shirt off; it’s covered in sweat from working in the heat of the garage. Dean leans in and kisses him in greeting, running his hand through Castiel’s hair just the way he likes it.

“You look good in my jeans, but why aren’t you wearing your own?”

Castiel’s heart drops. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Mine don’t fit,” he mumbles.

Dean frowns. “What? Cas, I can’t hear you when you mumble.”

“None of mine fit.”

Castiel flinches as the words leave his lips. There’s silence for a moment before Dean’s hand settles on Castiel’s shoulder, pulling him in.

“Babe,” Dean whispers. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Castiel sniffles, fighting back a new wave of tears. “Yes there is.”

“No there isn’t,” Dean says, this time more forcefully. “Who cares if your jeans have gotten too small? You look sexy as hell in mine, you can wear them whenever you want.”

An overwhelming sense of love flows over Castiel and he tackles Dean to the bed to kiss him. The alpha squeaks out of surprise, but kisses back quickly once he catches on.

“I love you, Dean,” Castiel whispers when he pulls off.

Dean smiles and runs his thumb over Castiel’s cheek. “I love you, too. Now, are we going on that double date with Sam and Gabe or are we going to be a half hour late like last time?” He punctuates the insinuation with a wandering hand around Castiel’s ass.

Castiel huffs an exasperated laugh and pushes Dean’s hand away. “We can’t be late this time.”

Dean pouts but heads into the bathroom to take a shower nonetheless. “Wanna join me?”

As tempting as it is, Castiel declines. He finds a shirt that covers the little bit of extra body fat on his stomach after ten minutes of searching. Dean comes out of the shower just as he’s buttoning the last button.

Dean comes over and unbuttons the top button. “Better,” he says with a small smirk.

“You just want to see my skin,” Castiel remarks. Dean doesn’t deny it.

It turns out they’re late for this double date, too.

“What took you so long?” Sam says when they meet them at the restaurant, standing up to give Dean and Cas hugs.

Gabe pokes him in the ribs and gives him a look, waggling his eyebrows. “Sammy, they were doing the do.”

Sam scrunches his forehead and grimaces. Castiel can pinpoint the exact moment Sam scents the faint traces of arousal in Dean and Castiel’s scents.

“Is it too much to ask that you keep it in your pants until after dinner?” Sam asks.

Dean grins and wraps his arm around Castiel’s waist. They sit in the booth opposite of Sam and Gabe and hold hands underneath the table. The other couple already has drinks, but that’s only because Dean and Castiel are over twenty minutes late.

“You’re going to love the sign I’m going to make for your graduation,” Gabe says, looking directly at Castiel. “Sammy’s is worse, though.”

Castiel glares at his cousin. Only God knows what he has in store. When Gabe and Sam got mated, he decorated their apartment door in fake dildos. It was horrible visiting them for the proceeding four months.

“I still have another two months until I’m shunned by everyone who sees it,” Castiel says. Their waitress comes then and takes Castiel’s and Dean’s drink orders.

The four of them have a good time together, all surprisingly getting along. Sometimes, Gabe will play a prank on Dean that’s borderline too mean and Dean might lash out, but most days they’re friends. Gabriel’s a beta, which means he has absolutely no chance of ever getting pregnant. Castiel knows that Sam’s wanted kids since they were kids themselves, and so has Gabriel.

They’ve been filing for adoption for months now.

After a few hours, Castiel notices how Gabriel keeps looking up at Sam out of the corner of his eye and his left hand is hidden underneath the table. Castiel takes the hint.

“I think it’s about time we get going,” Castiel says, indicating his question at Dean. The alpha shrugs. They pay the bill, it’s Dean and Cas’s turn, and then the four of them all say goodnight.

Castiel wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t even make it to their apartment before Gabriel jumps Sam. Dean and Castiel get to their own apartment a few minutes later and get ready for bed. Even though he was knotted before they went to dinner, Castiel still hopes that Dean will knot him again.

But when Dean comes out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth, he simply goes under the covers and cuddles up next to Castiel.

“Can you turn the light off, babe?” Dean asks. Castiel complies and does his best not to feel too disappointed. After all, there’s always tomorrow morning.

 

~*~

 

Castiel dives under the covers at the last second and hides his grin into the pillow. Dean walks out of the bathroom in a towel and starts to get dressed. When Castiel’s sure he’s facing the other way, he sneaks a peak at Dean’s naked ass. Once the alpha’s fully dressed, he goes in search of his shoes. Too bad Castiel hid them.

There’s a sigh once Dean comes back into their room and then a gentle hand is shaking him ‘awake.’ “Hey babe,” Dean whispers once Castiel blinks his eyes open to slits. “Do you know where my shoes are?”

Castiel shakes his head before rolling back into the pillow to hide his smile. Something in his scent must give him away, because Dean shakes him again until he grunts.

“Cas, did you hide them?

No answer.

“I need to go to work or Bobby’ll kill me for being late,” Dean says. “Where’d you put them?”

Castiel gathers himself and remembers that theatre class he took in the eighth grade. He looks up at Dean with wide, blinking eyes. “I didn’t touch your work boots.”

Dean stares at him for a few moments before his own bright green eyes narrow into slits. “You did.”

Castiel shakes his head. “I didn’t.”

“Cas, I don’t have time for this,” Dean says, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “Please just tell me where you put them.”

There’s annoyance in Dean’s scent, but Castiel ignores it. He wants his alpha. They’ve been mated for years, he knows exactly what turns his mate on. So Castiel turns over and presents, putting his blanket-clad ass high in the air.

A spike of arousal pierces through Dean’s annoyance, but then it’s gone and Castiel’s being pinned to the bed in the least sexy way possible.

“Castiel,” Dean growls. “I need to go to work. I can’t knot you if Bobby kills me.”

Instincts take over. Castiel growls back and rips his arms out of Dean’s hold. He pushes the confused and slightly angry alpha off of him and stomps into the kitchen. Stupid alpha. He throws open the cabinet door under the kitchen sink and tosses the boots to the ground.

“Cas,” Dean starts, but Castiel ignores him. He stomps back into their bedroom and slams the door behind him. If his stupid alpha won’t knot him, then he can just leave like he wants to. He doesn’t even have to come back tonight, Castiel won’t care.

The front door opens and then closes, the sound of the lock clicks into place. Castiel promptly starts bawling as soon as Dean leaves.

Why isn’t he good enough for his alpha? Why doesn’t Dean want him? Sam wanted Gabe last night, but Dean didn’t mate with him after the double date. Does Dean want someone else? Is he holding Dean down?

Castiel cries himself to sleep and misses his first class.

Things only get worse from there. Everyone on campus keeps smiling at him really sweetly and treating him as if he’s made of glass. Some people even ask to touch him, but he says no and glares at them. All three of them. At completely different times. What’s with people today?

He gets a craving for naan at around three, but there aren’t any good Indian food restaurants near campus and he only has ten minutes until his next class. The craving gets increasingly worse as he sits through an hour and a half lecture. It gets so bad that he can swear he smells it, but when he looks around, everyone’s paying attention to the professor.

Once all of his classes are over, he allows himself to check his phone. He has nine new text messages from Dean. Sitting down on one of the park benches around campus, Castiel scrolls through them. Six of them are asking if he’s alright or how his day’s going, two of them are pictures that Dean thought he’d find funny (which he does, even if he’s upset), and the last one is asking what Castiel wants for dinner.

Castiel doesn’t respond to any of them. Instead, he meets up with Alfie and they stop at a coffee shop. Alfie’s a beta, but some people that stop to talk to them think that the omega scent is coming from him and the beta scent comes from Castiel. He’s never been quite as small as his designation would suggest.

“I just don’t understand why I’m so mad at him,” Castiel confesses. He’s been overthinking everything lately.

Alfie shrugs and takes a sip of his coffee. Or rather, cream and sugar with some coffee added in. “Are you going into heat soon? I know my older sister used to get grumpy before hers.”

“No, I just had mine last month. I shouldn’t go into heat until a week after graduation.” Castiel refuses to acknowledge that he was just called grumpy, although he knows it’s true.

“Then I don’t know what to tell you,” Alfie says with a sympathetic look in his eyes. “Maybe you haven’t been getting enough sleep.”

Castiel mulls it over. He _has_ been waking up a lot during the night, but he almost always falls right back to sleep once he snuggles closer to his alpha. Perhaps he doesn’t remember staying awake.

“That could be a possibility,” he says slowly, lost in thought. Just then a big, putrid smelling alpha walks up to him and leers down.

“Look at you,” the alpha says, eyes raking obviously up and down Castiel’s body. Instinctively, Castiel hunches over to make himself smaller. “All fat with pup.”

_What?_ Castiel looks up at the alpha with wide blue eyes. He must have heard him wrong because there’s absolutely no chance in hell that he’s pregnant. Male omegas don’t have kids, they just don’t.

“I – I’m sorry,” Castiel says, still in disbelief. “You must be mistaken.”

The alpha shakes his head and leans down closer to Castiel to take a long whiff of his scent. “You’re only a few weeks along, but you’re with pup. Fuck, you smell so good.”

Castiel pushes himself farther away from the alpha. He knows a warning sign when he sees one. And a compliment on his scent is _always_ a warning. Alfie looks confused and slightly scared when Castiel locks eyes with him.

“Where’s your alpha, slut?”

Castiel growls. “None of your fucking business.”

“Cas –”

“Silence, beta,” the alpha growls, effectively causing Alfie to snap his mouth shut. The alpha grabs Castiel’s arm, but Castiel pushes him off. This only angers the alpha, getting him to snarl. They’re near the door and it’s a rush hour at the coffee shop, no one is paying attention to them. “You’re coming with me, omega.”

Castiel growls low in his throat and bares his teeth. He’s dealt with self-entitled alphas for years, he isn’t going to just roll over and take it.

The alpha doesn’t allow for disobedience and grabs Castiel’s throat and squeezes. Fear spikes through Castiel’s scent in a single wave. If he really is with pup, then he needs to protect them at all costs. Castiel looks to his right and locks eyes with Alfie, mouthing _call Dean_. Alfie nods quickly.

The hands around his throat tighten and Castiel gasps. His own hands come up to scratch and pull at the alpha’s stronger ones. No matter how scared he is, the alpha is too strong for him.

He barely registers Alfie grabbing Castiel’s phone that he left on top of the table and dialing Dean. The alpha leans down and Castiel can see the red leaking into his eyes. His breath reeks of stale alcohol.

“Stay here,” the alpha growls at Alfie without looking away from Castiel’s terror filled eyes. He removes one of his hands from around Castiel’s throat and wraps it around his upper arm to pull him from his seat. The pressure on his throat lessens and he can breathe again, pulling in lung fulls of sweet, precious air.

Castiel’s dragged to the alley next to the coffee shop, but he doesn’t go willingly. He kicks and growls at the alpha, but in the end he isn’t strong enough to fight him off.

“Go to hell,” he hisses, spitting at the alpha.

The alpha growls and slaps him across the face. “Learn some respect, whore.”

The skin on his cheek stings and Castiel knows there’ll be a mark there after this is all over. What if Dean doesn’t want him after this? Especially if he doesn’t get here in time and this alpha... Dean won’t want him if he’s been used.

He’s slammed into the brick wall, his chest scraping against the bricks through his thin t-shirt. The alpha twists Castiel’s arm behind him and pins him to the wall before feeling up and down his body with his other hand.

A hand reaches into the waistband of Castiel’s jeans when a voice yells out “Hey!” and the sound of a punch landing comes from behind him. Castiel opens his eyes and looks behind him to see Alfie nursing the hand he obviously just used to punch this hulking alpha, the very same alpha that looks like he’s about to destroy the beta.

“Shit,” Alfie whispers. The alpha snarls and releases Castiel, instead rounding on Alfie and stalking over to him. Castiel makes a last minute decision and jumps onto the alpha’s back and wraps his arms around his neck.

The alpha growls and pushes back, slamming Castiel’s back and skull into the wall. He’s forced to let go and crumple to the ground, his vision blacking out for a few moments.

Alfie backs away from the alpha, his scent screaming his panic. Castiel makes a small noise in the back of his throat and tries to stand up, but his legs are shaking and his head pounds.

“Run,” Castiel whispers, but no one hears him. He coughs and smells a vague tinge of blood. “Alfie, run!”

Alfie looks at him and shakes his head. “I’m not leaving you here, Cas.”

Castiel closes his eyes and whimpers. Alfie’s going to get hurt and it’s going to be Castiel’s fault. If he just went home after class then none of this would be happening.

A snarl erupts at the end of the alley and a strong, fierce eruption of protection and anger courses through the alley. Along with those scents are campfires and soap.

Castiel whines high in his throat and Dean’s burning red eyes lock onto his. He’s safe now, his alpha’s here. Castiel closes his eyes and lets the darkness take him under.

When he comes to, it feels like it’s been days. The back of his head is pounding and everything is blurry once he opens his eyes. His mouth feels as if it’s been stuffed with cotton.

Castiel groans and rolls over where he’s lying down. He quickly realizes he’s in his and Dean’s bed, except he’s on Dean’s side with his nose pressed into the pillow.

“Cas?”

Dean’s scent envelops him and he rumbles low in his throat. “ _Dean._ ”

“How are you feeling?” Dean whispers, his fingers carding through Castiel’s hair.

Castiel snorts and leans into Dean’s touch. “Like shit.” Dean hums and continues to card his fingers through Castiel’s hair. Castiel relaxes into the bed and blinks his eyes open. “Thank you, Dean.”

“Cas…what happened?” Dean asks, his eyes soft. “I was worried about you because you weren’t home yet so I was headed to campus when I got a call from your phone, but it was Alfie and he was freaking out about some random alpha. I had no idea what he was saying, but when I finally found you, you were collapsed on the ground and a knothead was cornering Alfie.”

Castiel nods, his memories coming back to him clearly. He suddenly remembers what the alpha said about him being with pup and his hand flies down to his stomach.

“Cas? What’s wrong?” Dean sits up straight where he’s kneeling by the bed and looks at him with fear. “Are you hurt?”

Castiel feels around his stomach, but nothing hurts. Everything seems okay. He exhales in relief and closes his eyes.

“What happened after I passed out?”

“Cas –”

“After I passed out.”

Dean pauses for a moment and Castiel knows he’s confusing his alpha, but he needs to know what happened.

“I attacked the other alpha and tackled him to the ground. Alfie went over to you and made sure you were alright. We called the cops to pick up the alpha after I knocked him out and we got out of there.”

Castiel nods, biting his lip in thought. “So Alfie’s alright?”

“Yeah,” Dean breathes. “He’s shaken up, but he’ll be alright. I dropped him off at his sister’s house before I brought you back here.” They’re both silent for a moment. “I’m going to get you some water.”

Castiel listens as Dean heads to the kitchen before he sits up, wincing at the way his head pounds when he does so. He needs to tell Dean about the pup, or potential pup. Dean’s never said anything about pups, but he’s always good with kids whenever they’re out and see one. But what if Dean doesn’t want the pup and hates Castiel for having it?

Dean comes back a minute later and immediately goes onto the bed and wraps Castiel into a tight hug.

“Why are you crying, love?”

Castiel wipes at his eyes. He doesn’t even remember starting to cry. His pup is so young and weak, but Castiel can’t bring himself to get rid of it. He’s always wanted kids, but never even dreamed that he’d be able to have them someday. Male omegas having kids is so extremely rare that it’s easier to tell people that he’s barren.

“Cas, please,” Dean begs. Castiel looks up at him and sees the pain in his eyes. He’s been confused for the past few days, but Dean’s been completely in the dark.

Closing his eyes, Castiel leans forward and buries his nose in Dean’s neck, mouthing at the mark he left on his alpha’s throat. The mark is what pushes Castiel to confess. If Dean allowed Castiel to mark him, then he can’t stop loving him because of a pup.

“I might be with pup,” Castiel whispers.

Dean doesn’t say anything for several long minutes. “What?”

“There’s a chance that I might be pregnant.”

Dean pulls back and looks at Castiel with wide eyes. “You’re pregnant?”

It’s difficult to read his expression. “I might be.”

A smile erupts over Dean’s face before he’s pulling Castiel in and kissing him. He rains kisses all across his face; his nose, his forehead, his cheeks, his lips, his throat.

“I can’t believe you’re pregnant!” Dean’s eyes are alight with excitement. “How long have you known? Is this why you’ve been so weird lately?”

Castiel smacks Dean lightly on the arm, but his excitement is contagious. “I didn’t know until that knothead said I smelt like a pregnant omega…but it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Dean nods, bright smile still stuck in place. “Very much.”

They spend the rest of the day snuggling in bed, Dean moving down so that he can speak to the pup growing in Castiel’s belly.

He can’t wait until he shows for real.

 

~*~

 

“ _Dean!_ ”

There’s a crash from the kitchen followed by a muffled curse. “I’m coming, babe!”

Dean hurries into the bedroom with a bottle of lotion and a cup of warm tea. Castiel’s seven months along and already feels like he’s going to burst. They only found out recently that he’s pregnant with twins instead of the single pup that they’d been expecting.

The snap of the lotion bottle cap being opened captures Castiel’s attention and he watches as Dean pours some of the lotion into his hand and then settles over Castiel’s legs so that he can rub at his belly.

“I love seeing you like this,” Dean whispers, his voice soft and soothing to Castiel. “All swelled up with my pups.”

Castiel hums and closes his eyes. “Only for you, Alpha.”

Dean rubs all the lotion into his stomach and then leads a trail down his legs, massaging the limbs like he does every night for Castiel. As soon as he started showing, Dean started going with him everywhere. Not just to ward off frisky alphas, but to show Castiel off to the world.

Mom and Dad were overjoyed when they found out. Mom started sobbing, she was so happy. Mary and John weren’t much better. Castiel swears the four of them are in on something, if the way they smile at him knowingly every time he and Dean visit is anything to go by.

“Do you think I’ll be a good dad?”

Castiel opens his eyes and looks down at Dean where he’s paused above Castiel’s left leg. There’s a slight edge of fear in the air when Castiel gets through the scent of the lotion. He motions for Dean to come up to him and the alpha follows the direction. He pulls Dean into a kiss and rakes his hand through Dean’s hair.

“Dean Winchester, you will make the absolute best father anyone could ask for.” Castiel looks into his eyes the entire time, his voice low and authoritative. “I couldn’t ask for a better true mate. You love fiercely and I know that you will love our pups.”

He kisses Dean again, letting his pheromones wash over the alpha. He rests his forehead against Dean’s and closes his eyes. “And they will love you, too.”

“I love you, Castiel.”

Castiel kisses him.

 

~*~

 

On a cold Saturday in December, two weeks before Christmas, Castiel gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Dean helps him through labor, holding his hand and fulfilling his every need. Lying on Castiel’s hospital bed together with Claire in Castiel’s arms and Inias in Dean’s arms, knowing that their families and friends are outside waiting to meet the pups, he’s never felt so loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so towards the end, Castiel is at a coffee shop with Alfie when a big, possibly alcoholic alpha comes up to him and tells him how good he smells (Spoiler alert: this is when we find out about the mpreg) and basically demands that he goes with him. Of course, Castiel refuses, but the alpha is stronger and forces him into the alley next to the coffee shop. The alpha gropes him, but then there ends up being this big fight, Alfie and Castiel against the alpha, and then Dean shows up. Also, towards the beginning, Balthazar does chase Castiel around his house, but there's never any actual threat. If this is potentially triggering or not your cup of tea, I won't be offended in the least if you choose not to read. 
> 
> You can find me [here](http://castielskeytotheimpala.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! :)


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